Director and President of the Sabeel Center in Jerusalem, Rev. Canon Naim Ateek opened the 2005 Chicago Sabeel Conference at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

The theme for the conference, ?Jerusalem: will justice and peace embrace?? focused on the struggles Palestinians face living under Israeli military occupation; and the ways in which Jews, Christians and Muslims can stand together for human rights and social justice.

Sonia Nettnin, Amin, Oct 10, 2005

Dwight and Emma Baker, emeritus missionaries of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board (IMB), have donated 100,000 USD toward the purchase of property in Nazareth, Israel, owned by the IMB.

Dr and Mrs. Baker, from Duncanville, Texas, originally purchased the land on behalf of the IMB in the 1950's and built the house and used it for their residence. Dr. Baker served as pastor of the Nazareth Baptist Church, director of village evangelism (church planting) and a Bible teacher in Nazareth and the Galilee.

Special For "Come and See", Sep 27, 2005

Last week, Moslems from the village of Deir Jarrar broke into houses in the Christian Village of Taibe and stole furniture, jewelry and electrical appliances. They threw Molotov cocktails at some buildings and poured kerosene on others, then torched them.

Usually, the Christians remain silent when such incidents happen, for the sake of keeping the good long relations with their Moslem neighbors.

While Palestinian Christians remain silent, some Jews enjoy telling the story of the Moslems beating the Christians. The following is an article by Daniel Pipes, a right wing American Jewish columnist. Even though Christian Arabs may find this article irritating, it is important to tell the story of Taibe and learn the lessons, just before no more Christians are left in the West Bank.

Daniel Pipes, New York Sun, Sep 13, 2005

While Israel was busy preparing for withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, in one of the most complicated logistic assignments, a group of 350 Athletes were meeting in a Hotel near the Sea of Galilee and preparing for another complicated assignment. These Athletes were planning their project to reach out to Arab and Jewish kids through Sports, both in Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Special For "Come and See", Sep 15, 2005

This week Palestine Report Online interviews Taybeh's Latin Parish Priest, Raed Abu Sahliyeh on the recent violence where men from a neighboring Muslim village torched houses and cars in the Christian village.

Palestine Report, Sep 8, 2005

Shas spiritual leader Ovadia Yosef: Hurricane Katrina result of Bush?s support for disengagement, failure of New Orleans? black residents to study Torah. ?This is the punishment for what Bush did to Gush Katif,? rabbi says

Zvi Alush, YNET, Sep 7, 2005

It began as yet another "honor killing," still relatively common in the Arab world: a young Muslim woman was poisoned, allegedly by her family, over an extramarital affair. But in a twist, her lover was a Christian ? and 13 of his relatives' homes were burned by an angry mob, all Muslims from the dead woman's clan.

The woman's family insist they were simply dispensing tribal justice. But some Christians say they were targeted because of their religion, reflecting growing worries about a rise in sectarianism after decades of tolerance between Palestinians' Muslim majority and a dwindling Christian minority.

By LARA SUKHTIAN, Associated Press Sep 5, 2005

An interesting opinion about Israel's disengagment plan from Gaza - From a thelogogical point of view. Avraham Burg was speaker of Israel's Knesset in 1999-2003 and is a former chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel. He writes about the "right to the land" and whether this is conditional.

"The right to the Land of Israel is an option for the Jewish people, not an eternal, unbreakable promise. We don't get credit for the righteousness of our forefathers forever. If the beautiful houses we once had in part of the land are gone, it must be for the sin of pride"

Avraham Burg, YentNews, August 27, 2005

The Greek Orthodox Church has elected a new patriarch for Jerusalem to replace its former leader who was demoted after a controversial land deal.

The church's Holy Synod elected Metropolitan Theofilos following the ousting of his predecessor in May. Theofilos becomes the religious head of 100,000 Christians in the Holy Land, most of them Palestinian. Former Patriarch Irineos had refused to resign, despite being isolated by the world's Orthodox leaders.

By LAURIE COPANS, AP, August 22, 2005